This list of some of the best tacos in Columbus, Ohio will satisfy your craving for that classic meat and tortilla combination!
I love tacos! And I especially love traditional tacos with corn tortillas, topped with cilantro and onion. So, this list of what I consider to be some of the best tacos in Columbus is going to skew toward traditional Mexican tacos.
If you’re looking for the perfect place to have a traditional Mexican taco in Columbus, Ohio, check out this list and leave me your suggestions in the comments and maybe we’ll try it next!
1. El Jaliciense
- Address: 3528 Sullivant Ave, Columbus, OH 43204
- Facebook Page
- Parking: small parking lot and street parking in the area
El Jaliciense is our go-to when it comes to authentic Mexican cuisine because it’s reliably good and it is so close to where we live! When we moved to the west side of Columbus, it was one of the first restaurants we discovered and we ordered these tacos for takeout many times while unpacking moving boxes in our new house!
El Jaliciense has delicious tacos and they have a great Taco Tuesday special! I love the traditional Mexican street tacos here and the chicken tacos and tacos al pastor are my go-to taco orders!
Your traditional taco-filling choices at El Jaliciense include steak, marinated pork, chicken, chorizo, carnitas, fish and shrimp. On Tuesdays, pollo, al pastor and carnitas tacos are $1.50 each! Taco Tuesday anyone? (Make sure to check their Facebook page (linked above) or at the restaurant to confirm before visiting as deals are always changing!)
2. Dos Hermanos
- Address: multiple locations
- Website
- Parking: Garage available at both North Markets and a parking lot at the Easton location
Dos Hermanos is a popular spot for tacos and they have multiple locations in Columbus including a new stand-alone shop in the Easton Town Center area. They are also located in North Market Downtown and North Market Bridge Park in Dublin. You can also still find their food truck around town at special events!
When it comes to tacos, you have a choice of Dos Hermanos Tacos or Mexican Street Tacos. In the photo below, the Dos Hermanos Tacos are at the top and include lettuce, cheese, and pico de gallo. The Mexican Street Tacos, at the bottom of the photo, are topped with onion and cilantro.
I thought the street tacos were excellent! Some of the best tacos I’ve had in Columbus! The meat was very flavorful and the toppings were fresh!
I loved the Easton location for a dine-in experience! They even have cool upstairs seating areas overlooking the restaurant on both sides and an open grill area where you can watch your food being made.
3. Tacos Don Deme
- Address: 75 S Murray Hill Rd, Columbus, OH 43228
- Facebook Page
- Parking: parking lot available in the shopping center
Tacos Don Deme is located in a small strip mall on S. Murray Hill Rd. in Lincoln Village. The tacos are flavorful and well-seasoned.
Traditional taco choices here include steak, chicken, chorizo, tripe, beef, cow head, marinated pork, carnitas, beef tongue and pork stomach. They also have birria tacos here. You can also get a Tex-Mex-style taco. The menu does not state what Tex-Mex style is and I haven’t ordered it, but I imagine it’s along the lines of an “Americanized taco”.
The queso is great here, too! And this is the perfect spot for a Mexican restaurant because, after your meal, you can go next door to Panaderia La Oaxaqueña, a Mexican bakery, and have the complete experience!
4. Los Guachos
- 4 Locations in Columbus
- Website
- Parking lots available at each location
When the Food Network calls Los Guachos one of the “Top 5 Tacos in the country”, it’s hard to argue! But you’ll have to try them yourself to declare your own verdict!
The first time I had Los Guachos was at the original food truck off of Sullivant Avenue. Over the timeframe that I have lived in Columbus, Los Guachos has expanded to include 4 sit-down restaurants located mainly on the north and northeast sides of Columbus.
The Original Taco al Pastor is what made Los Guachos famous! But if marinated pork topped with sliced pineapple, onion and cilantro (YUM) is not your thing, you can also choose from steak, chorizo, tripe, beef tongue, chicken or brisket tacos!
I’m an Al Pastor girl myself and on Mondays, al pastor tacos are buy one get one free. So good! This is definitely one of the best places for tacos in Columbus, if not the most famous!
5. El Ranchito Taqueria
- Address: 1275 Brown Rd, Columbus, OH 43223
- Facebook Page
- Small parking lot behind restaurant
El Ranchito Taqueria is well known for its Mexican food on the west side of Columbus, but they are a bit of a hidden gem in Columbus! When we visited recently for lunch, they were packed! But, I have never had my food come out so fast in a restaurant!
The taco meat had a lot of flavor and though this post is just about tacos, it should be noted that my husband also loved his burrito! I had the pollo, carnitas and asada (AKA chicken, pork tips and steak) tacos.
Other taco filling choices include cabeza (beef head), buche (pork stomach), chicharron (pork rinds), chorizo (Mexican sausage) and adobada (marinated pork). You can also order vegetarian tacos which are filled with fajita veggies.
These authentic tacos are the real deal! But, if you’re not in the mood for the traditional taco, you can also order Tacos Supreme, which includes cheese, lettuce, sour cream, and tomatoes in addition to the traditional cilantro and onion topping.
The chips and salsa at El Ranchito are unique compared to other Mexican restaurants! To my untrained eye, I believe the chips are made with flour tortillas! The salsa is also on the sweet side. I liked it!
While this list focuses on traditional tacos, if you want Tex-Mex or tacos with cheese, sour cream, tomatoes, etc. I recommend trying out Condado Tacos, House Taco, or Barrio. I’m also going to give a shout out to Katalina’s for their breakfast tacos which are A-Mazing!
I’d love to hear your suggestions for the best authentic Mexican tacos in Columbus! Feel free to leave a comment below!
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